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From January 8, 2025, people visiting the UK who don’t need a Visa for short stays (up to six months) will need an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), unless they already have UK immigration status.
This will include anyone who is changing planes at a UK airport for travel onwards to Europe, Africa, or anywhere else in the world.
Caribbean residents with a British passport or British Overseas Territory Citizens (BOTC) passport are exempt from needing an ETA. They just need to show their passport, as usual, when traveling.
People who already need a Visa to visit, study, or work in the UK won’t need an ETA but must still get a Visa.
The ETA system is designed to make the UK safer by checking travelers in advance, similar to systems in the US and Australia. An ETA gives permission to travel to the UK but does not guarantee entry, which is decided at the border.
Non-Europeans eligible for an ETA can apply now and must have one to travel from January 8, 2025. Europeans can apply starting March 5, 2025, and need an ETA by April 2, 2025. British and Irish citizens don’t need an ETA.
Applying for an ETA costs £10, is claimed to be easy to do online, and allows multiple trips to the UK for up to six months each over two years or until the passport expires.
BOTCs who aren’t British Citizens or cannot prove their British Citizenship still face immigration checks and need the right Visa to live, work, or study in the UK.
If you are traveling to Europe (for example France or Spain) and changing planes in London or any other UK airport, you will still need the authorization to use a UK airport.
Exemptions are as follows:
Travel Authorization (ETA) requirement for visitors from visa-exempt countries. However, certain individuals are exempt from obtaining an ETA:
- British and Irish Citizens: Individuals holding British or Irish citizenship do not need an ETA to enter the UK.
- UK Visa or Immigration Permission Holders: Those who possess a valid UK visa or have permission to live, work, or study in the UK (including settled or pre-settled status, or right of abode) are exempt from the ETA requirement.
- British Overseas Territories Citizens (BOTC): Travelers with a BOTC passport are not required to obtain an ETA.
- Residents of Ireland Traveling from the Common Travel Area: Individuals legally residing in Ireland and traveling to the UK from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, or the Isle of Man are exempt from needing an ETA.
- Dual citizens of the UK and any other country do not need to apply for electronic preauth provided that they travel on a current UK passport.
For more information, visit GOV.UK.
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